Wind Power News: December 2012

These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – The city of Rancho Cucamonga will allow residents of larger properties to apply for a wind energy permit. For now, only owners of larger properties in “Very Low” or “VL” residential districts will be allowed to obtain a permit for a wind energy tower. Setback requirements would mean the tower would be placed in “large backyards” and not in front of a home, according to officials. The new systems are meant as a supplemental energy source for a . . .Complete story »

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently revoked Private Letter Ruling (PLR) 201214007, which found that facility-specific power purchase agreements (PPAs) are considered part of the underlying wind energy facilities and, therefore, no portion of the purchase price of the wind energy facilities should be allocated to the PPAs. In PLR 201249013, released December 7, 2012, the IRS determined that PLR 201214007 is not in accord with the IRS’s current views and that the portion of the purchase price that is . . .Complete story »

SACRAMENTO – When Gov. Jerry Brown spoke to a crowd of beaming environmentalists and renewable energy advocates at the launch of a solar farm last year, he turned heads by praising another form of fuel: oil. It was a surprising pivot from the man credited with helping to usher in the modern environmental movement as California’s governor nearly four decades ago. Back then, Brown enacted the nation’s first energy-efficiency standards, signed strict anti-smog laws and blocked offshore drilling. But in his . . .Complete story »

Well, it’s just like the Government Grinch to try to steal the County’s Christmas spirit. On Dec. 21, it was announced that the Gilead Wind project at Ostrander Point had been approved. This opens the door to a whole new future of unstoppable Industrial Wind Turbine projects here. But we have no-one to complain to. Poor Todd Smith, our provincial member of parliament, is foaming at the mouth, but he has no-one to listen, and no parliament in which to . . .Complete story »

OLYMPIA – The House Environment Committee will take on all energy-related issues in the upcoming Legislature, including renewable energy standards and production. “Energy and environmental issues have a lot of overlap, so this shift makes sense,” said committee Chairman Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines. “Washington state is already a national leader in promoting energy technologies that both spur economic growth and help protect the quality of life we all cherish.” Among the new members of the committee is Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, . . .Complete story »

I was very disappointed that the Phoenix chose to endorse subsidizing the wind power industry (see “What You Missed,” December 21, 2012). While I agree that the fossil fuel industry is environmentally destructive, using wind is little or no improvement, for a few main reasons – and I owe Robert Bryce credit for his extensive research and writing on the issue. First, those turbines slaughter huge numbers of birds, with an annual toll in the US estimated at 440,000 (according to . . .Complete story »

As lawmakers rush to hash out a deal to extend tax credits for wind energy generation, a new report shows that, once hidden costs are accounted for, the true cost of wind power generation is twice that of what previous government estimates have shown. “Once these hidden costs are included and subsidies are excluded, wind generation is not close to being competitive with conventional generation sources such as natural gas, coal or nuclear,” said George Taylor, lead author of the . . .Complete story »

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Vice President Biden have reached a deal on the tax portions of a fiscal cliff agreement. Republicans and President Obama and Democrats won and lost battles in the talks, with Obama and Democrats winning extensions on several middle-class tax breaks and forcing Republicans to agree to higher rates on wealthier households and on some investment income. But Republicans were able to raise the threshold for when the higher tax rates kick in, and . . .Complete story »

Developers of the Northern Pass hydroelectric project said on Monday that they have identified a new route for the 1,200-megawatt transmission lines through the North Country, but did not provide further details. In an announcement posted as a “project update” on the Northern Pass website, spokesmen for Northeast Utilities said, “We are in the process of finalizing this new proposal and will soon be prepared to announce its specific details. This proposal was created in consideration of concerns raised regarding . . .Complete story »